Junction boxes with wrap-around compartments

ABSTRACT

Junction boxes and partitions for junction boxes are disclosed. The junction boxes have a central area for installation of a driver or another such component and at least one wrap-around compartment in which wire connections can be made. In many cases, the junction box may have two wrap-around compartments, often mirror images of one another, that provide separate spaces for high- and low-voltage wire connections. The interior walls or partitions that create the compartments may be carried by and arise from the base of a junction box, or they may be carried by a separate piece that inserts over the driver, fully encloses or caps it, and also carries partition portions to create fully-divided compartments when used in combination with a junction box base that has no partitions of its own.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/597,541, filed Dec. 12, 2017; U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/614,191, filed Jan. 5, 2018; and U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 62/620,809, filed Jan. 23, 2018. All of thosepatent applications are incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

In general, the invention relates to junction boxes for makingconnections to drivers.

2. Description of Related Art

Junction boxes are enclosures that protect electrical connections, forexample, from foreign matter and contaminants that could dislodge orjeopardize the connection. In case of a fire, the junction box acts as afire enclosure that serves to contain the fire.

Junction boxes are required by building and electrical codes in manyjurisdictions and, in their basic form, are familiar and age-oldelectrical components. Often viewed as a commodity component, mostjunction boxes are little more than metal or plastic boxes with holes—orknock-outs for holes. While traditional junction boxes work quite wellfor high-voltage connections, technology has changed, and manyconstruction projects now use low-voltage power in addition tohigh-voltage.

The definition of low voltage varies depending on the source oneconsults, but for purposes of this description, voltages under about 50Vmay be considered low voltage. Low voltage power may be used forsolid-state lighting (i.e., lighting based on light-emitting diodes(LEDs)), it may be used for control and automation, or it may be usedfor other kinds of household and commercial building systems.

Most low-voltage components require a separate driver to be installed.In broad terms, a driver is a transformer-rectifier that convertshigh-voltage alternating current (AC) power to low-voltage directcurrent (DC) power. For example, a driver may convert from 110 or 277VAC to 12 V or 24 VDC. A typical driver has a set of high-voltage inputsand a set of low-voltage outputs. The inputs and outputs are usually inthe form of wires, although terminal blocks and other structures may beused.

Regulations in at least some jurisdictions require that a driver beenclosed, and that high-voltage connections be separated fromlow-voltage connections. Thus, a number of manufacturers have createdjunction boxes that have space and mounting structures for a driver, aswell as compartments to separate high- and low-voltage connections.

U.S. Pat. No. 9,951,934, which is incorporated by reference in itsentirety, is the work of the present assignee and describes junctionboxes that are suitable for use with a wide variety of differentdrivers. These junction boxes feature an open central area and twoidentical compartments, one on each end of the central area. The centralarea provides ample space and mounting structures for securing drivers,and the two compartments provide separate spaces for making high- andlow-voltage connections. The presence of two identical compartmentsgives the junction box symmetry, so that either compartment can serve asthe high-voltage compartment and either can serve as the low-voltagecompartment. The junction boxes disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,951,934have a number of advantages, including ease of access and ease of driverinstallation.

Over the last few years, drivers have gotten considerably smaller assome manufacturers have perfected techniques for miniaturizing thenecessary components. Unfortunately, junction box technology has notadvanced at the same rate, and most available junction boxes are muchlarger than the smallest drivers. Yet making a junction box smaller isnot a trivial exercise—for example, regulatory requirements may specifythat the compartments for making electrical connections must have atleast a certain minimum volume.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the invention pertains to a junction box. The junction boxhas a base and a cover. The base has a sidewall and an internalpartition or partitions that divide it into a central area, suitable forhousing an AC-to-DC converter and driver, and at least one wrap-aroundcompartment that provides a separate space for making high- orlow-voltage wire connections. For example, the internal partition orpartitions may divide the base of the junction box into a central areaand two wrap-around compartments. Those compartments may be, e.g.,U-shaped or L-shaped, and they may be mirror images of one another insome embodiments. The interior walls may have U-shaped cut-outs thatallow wires to pass from the central area into the compartments, and thesidewall generally has at least one opening or knock-out per compartmentthat allows wires to enter and leave the junction box.

Another aspect of the invention also relates to junction boxes. Junctionboxes according to this aspect of the invention have a base and a cover,but unlike the junction boxes described above, has an undivided centralspace and carries no internal partitions of its own. Instead, a drivercap is provided that encloses a driver on five sides. The driver capcarries partition portions that are designed to extend to the sidewallor sidewalls of the base, thereby creating at least one wrap-aroundcompartment for making high- or low-voltage connections. A driver capwith the form of a rectangular prism may, for example, have twopartition portions attached along opposite diagonal corners and arrangedto extend outwardly from the driver cap.

Yet another aspect of the invention relates to partitions for junctionboxes. A driver cap, as described above, may be used in some cases as aretrofit partition for a conventional junction box that was notoriginally designed to house an AC-to-DC driver.

Other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention will be setforth in the description that follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a junction box according toone embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the junction box of FIG. 1 with the coverremoved;

FIG. 3 is an assembled perspective view of the junction box of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a junction box according toanother embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is an assembled perspective view of the junction box of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the junction box of FIG. 4 with the coverremoved;

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the junction box of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of a junction box similar to the junction boxof FIG. 4 showing additional means of securing the driver;

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of a junction box according toyet another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the junction box of FIG. 9 with the coverremoved;

FIG. 11 is an end elevational view of the junction box of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of the junction box of FIG. 9;

FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of a junction box according toyet another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 14 is a top plan view of the junction box of FIG. 13 with the coverremoved;

FIG. 15 is a bottom plan view of the junction box of FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is a long-side elevational view of the junction box of FIG. 13;

FIG. 17 is a short-side elevational view of the junction box of FIG. 13;

FIG. 18 is a top plan view of a junction box according to a furtherembodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 19 is a top plan view of a junction box according to anotherfurther embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a junction box, generallyindicated at 10, according to one embodiment of the invention. Thejunction box 10 is shown with a driver 12. As shown in FIG. 1, junctionbox 10 is a five-sided rectilinear enclosure with two long walls 14, twoshort walls 16, and a flat bottom 18. A removable cover 20 covers andcloses the enclosure, giving junction box 10 the overall shape of arectangular prism. The cover 20 of the illustrated embodiment has adepending lip 22 that extends down over the tops of the walls 14, 16 tocover any gap between the cover 20 and the walls 14, 16.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of junction box 10 with the cover 20 removed.As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, junction box 10 has a central area 24 inwhich the driver 12 is installed. The central area 24 is bordered by twomirror-image interior walls 26 that, in the illustrated embodiment, aregenerally U-shaped, with transverse portions 28 that connect with andterminate along the long sidewalls 14. The interior walls 26 divide thecentral area 24 from two mirror-image compartments 30 that, because ofthe shape of the interior walls 26, are themselves U-shaped. Thecompartments 30 extend around three sides of the driver 12 when it isinstalled in the central area 24. A transverse area 32 extends acrossjunction box 10 between the transverse portions 28 of the interior walls26, to provide more access to the central area 24 and more ability tomanipulate the driver 12 within it.

While there are two mirror-image interior walls 26 in junction box 10 ofFIG. 1, a junction box according to an embodiment of the invention mayneed only one compartment 30, in order to separate high voltage from lowvoltage. If that is the case, then only one interior wall 26 may beneeded. Of course, any number of shorter walls may be connected togetherto form the interior wall 26.

As shown in FIG. 1, each of the interior walls 26 has a U-shaped cut out34 along its short side nearest the short walls 16 of junction box 10.The cut-outs 34 allow an installer to pass wires from the driver 12 tothe compartments 30 without having to pull wires through an opening. Thecut outs 34 need not be located in the place shown in FIG. 1 in allembodiments; instead, they may be located anywhere along the interiorwalls 26. Some embodiments of junction box 10 may include multiplecut-outs 34 in the interior walls 26. Of course, while cut-outs 34 areadvantageous in that they prevent an installer from having to pull wiresthrough openings, some embodiments may use openings in place of cut-outs34.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the locations of the interior wall cut-outs34 are coordinated with the locations of knock-outs or openings 36 inthe exterior walls 14, 16. Junction box 10 may have any number ofopenings or knock-outs 36 in its exterior walls 14, 16, or in the bottom18, to allow for incoming and outgoing electrical connections, as willbe described below in more detail. A knock-out 36, as the term is usedhere, is a pre-defined frangible portion of an exterior wall 14, 16 thatcan be removed, either manually or with a tool, to create an opening.Most knock-outs 36 are round and create round openings, although theymay be of any shape. Some knock-outs may have multiple, individuallyremovable frangible pieces to make either round openings of varioussizes or openings of various shapes.

Junction box 10 of FIG. 1 has two knock-outs or openings 36, one opening36 centered along each short wall 16. The cut-outs 34 in each of theinterior walls 26 are directly in line with the openings 36 so thatwires from the driver 12 can extend relatively straight. As shown inFIG. 3, the openings 26 allow junction box 10 to connect with, forexample, type NM in-wall wire, plenum-rated wire, or metal or plasticconduit. While not shown in the figures, and not critical to theinvention itself, connections between the driver 12 and the wire thatexits the junction box 10 may be by twist-on wire nuts, lever nuts, orany other conventional wire connecting mechanism. In some embodiments,the driver 12 itself may include a terminal block for making wireconnections.

In addition to the knock-outs or openings 36, junction boxes accordingto embodiments of the invention may be perforated so as to increaseventilation and decrease internal temperatures. Junction box 10 has fourgroups of perforation holes 38 on its cover 20, and one group ofperforation holes 38 in the center of each long wall 14.

As for the driver 12 itself, any number of mechanisms may be used tosecure it within the central area 24, depending on the configuration ofthe driver 12 and a number of other factors. U.S. Pat. No. 9,951,934describes a number of ways in which drivers may be secured to junctionboxes, and any of those methods may be implemented. In FIG. 2, thedriver 12 has a flange 40, threaded rods are secured to the bottom 18,and thumbscrews or coupling nuts are secured over the flange 40 tosecure the driver 12. The junction box 10 may also have mounting holesprovided in the bottom 18.

In some cases, the cover 20 may act to secure the driver 12. Morespecifically, junction box 10 may be dimensioned such that there is onlya small clearance, or no clearance, between the cover 20 and the driver12. In that case, the cover 20 helps to hold the driver 12 in place. Thecover 20 itself may be secured to the junction box 10 in any number ofways, more of which will be shown and described below. In the embodimentof FIGS. 1-3, the cover 20 is secured by a tight fit, but it may besecured with screws or other fasteners.

Junction box 10 may be made of metal or plastic. If it is made of metal,it may be, for example, cast, machined from a block of material, or madeof sheet metal. Sheet metal may be a particularly cost-effectivematerial from which to make junction box 10. If needed for ingressprotection, adjacent panels of bent sheet metal may be welded togetherto eliminate gaps. However, if completely seamless construction orthicker walls are needed, it may be useful to cast or machine junctionbox 10. It may also be useful, e.g., for corrosion protection, toprotect at least the outer surfaces of junction box 10 by anodizing,galvanizing, powder coating, or some similar protection or passivationtechnique. In some embodiments, a material like stainless steel that isnaturally resistant to corrosion and other environmental effects may beused.

Plastic versions of junction box 10 may be made, e.g., by injectionmolding or resin casting, to name two possible techniques. Theparticular plastic and the additives that are included may be chosenbased on the environment in which the junction box is to be used.Suitable plastics include, but are not limited to, poly(vinyl chloride)(PVC), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), and polycarbonate. Theplastics in question may have to meet certain regulatory standards,e.g., as to flame rating, melting point, etc., and those standards mayvary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. As those of skill in the artwill understand, virtually any plastic that can pass the necessary flametesting can be used.

Composite resin-impregnated materials may also be used. For example,resin-impregnated glass-fiber composites, carbon-fiber composites, andresin laminates may also be used. These materials are usually formed byusing an oriented or woven mat of material that is impregnated withresin. In many cases, multiple layers may be used. For example, iflaminated with resin and treated for flame resistance, even paper may bea suitable material. Composite plastic resins may also be used. Forexample, polymers filled with short or long glass fibers, short or longcarbon fibers, or similar may be used. Glass-filled nylon, for example,may be suitable in some embodiments.

Thus, as is apparent from FIGS. 1-3 and the above description, injunction box 10, the two mirror-image compartments 30 “wrap around” thedriver 12. The phrase “wrap around,” as used here, refers tocompartments that extend around at least portions of at least two sidesof a driver, if the driver is rectilinear in shape. If the driver inquestion has a curved outer sidewall, then “wrap around” refers to acompartment with at least one wall that substantially matches thecurvature of the driver sidewall, or to a compartment that geometricallycircumscribes the driver. Although the compartments 30 of junction box10 are equal in size and are mirror images of one another, neither ofthose things need be true in all embodiments. For example, onecompartment could be substantially smaller than the other.

Although regulatory standards often require compartments of at least aminimum volume in order to make electrical connections, those standardsdo not usually dictate how that volume should be arranged. Wrappingcompartments around the driver may prevent the junction box from gettingtoo large in any one dimension.

Junction box 10 also has certain other advantages. For example, itssymmetry may make installation easier and the junction box itself moreversatile.

The U-shaped compartments of junction box 10 are only one possible shapeand configuration for a junction box with wrap-around compartments. Asmight be appreciated from the description above, there are a number ofways that compartments might wrap around a driver, and a number of waysof defining and separating those compartments from the driver. Junctionbox 10 may carry partitions of other shapes.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a junction box 100 accordingto another embodiment of the invention. The junction box 100 has twoL-shaped compartments 102 that wrap around the perimeter of the driver12 and meet at opposite ends to form an enclosure that has a rectilinearshape overall. Whereas junction box 10 is a unitary, single enclosurethat is internally divided into a central area 24 and two U-shapedcompartments 30, the two L-shaped compartments 102 of junction box 100are essentially separate containers that are secured together around thedriver 12. (Although the driver 12 in junction box 100 is assumed tohave the same characteristics as the driver 12 installed in junction box10, that need not be the case in all embodiments.)

As shown in FIG. 4, a cover 104 extends over both compartments 102 toclose junction box 100. The cover 104 is a flat, generally rectangularpiece with a number of outwardly protruding tabs 106, one on each shortside and two on each long side, that insert into correspondinghorizontal slots 108 in the upper sidewalls of the compartments 104 tosecure the cover 104 to the junction box 100.

The cover 104 of the illustrated embodiment has a rectangular open area110 in its center, which exposes the majority of the top face of thedriver 12 when the cover 104 is installed. The cover 104 also has atleast two screw holes, through which screws 112 extend to secure thecover 104 to the compartments 102 of the junction box 100. As shown inFIG. 4, each compartment 102 has a horizontally-extending flange 114with a threaded hole 116 that receives one of the screws 112.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the junction box 100. As shown in FIG.4, the short end wall of the long side of each compartment 102 has aknock-out 118 to allow wires to enter and leave the junction box 100. InFIG. 5, the knock-out 118 has been removed, leaving an opening. A clamp120 is secured within the opening in FIG. 5. In the illustratedembodiment, the clamp 120 secures a type NM plenum-rated cable. Ofcourse, metal conduit may be used in some applications, and anyappropriate conduit or wire may be used in other applications.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of junction box 100 without its cover 120. Atthe respective ends of the driver 12, a single wall is missing from eachcompartment 102, which allows wires 122 to extend through respectiveopenings 124 into the separate compartments 102. Instead of a missingwall, a half-wall, or a wall with an opening or cut-out may be used inother embodiments.

The two compartments 102 may be secured together in any number of ways,including welding, brazing, riveting, bolting, and other forms offastening. In the illustration of FIG. 6, a single screw 126 is securedover the flange 40 on the driver 12, thus securing the driver, andtransits the dividing wall between the two compartments 102 to securethe two compartments 102 together. The two compartments 102 may besecured by additional screws or other means over their lengths. Thisdiffers somewhat from the arrangement in the junction box 10 describedabove: the driver 12 is essentially mounted on its side in junction box100.

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the junction box 100. FIG. 7 bestillustrates one of the differences between junction box 10 and junctionbox 100: in junction box 100, the driver 12 is not secured to thebottom. Rather, the bottom of junction box 100 actually has a centralopening 128, similar to the central opening 110 in the cover 104. Thisconfiguration, in addition to saving material and making junction box100 easy to assemble by securing two compartments 102 togetherend-to-end, may increase airflow to the driver. It may also be helpfulwith drivers that already have a high ingress protection rating, andthus, do not require much additional ingress protection from thejunction box. For fire protection purposes, however, it may be helpfulto see that the junction box 100 is dimensioned such that the driver 12fits snugly against both the cover 104 and the bottom, so that there areno gaps.

In some cases, additional structure may be needed to secure the driver12 within the junction box 100. As one example, of additional means thatmay be taken to secure a driver 12 within a junction box, FIG. 8 is atop plan view of a junction box 150 that is similar to the junction box100 described above in many respects. On one side, a screw 126 isinserted over the flange 40 of the driver 12 and transits the dividingwall between the two compartments 102, just as in the junction box 100described above. However, unlike in junction box 100, in junction box150, the other side of the driver 12 is also secured. Specifically, thedriver 12 is secured by a screw or bolt 152, but since the location ofthe nearest wall of junction box 152 is opposite that of the other side,the bolt 152 is inserted from the other side, such that the head of thescrew or bolt 152 bears against the underside of the flange 40. Thescrew or bolt 152 is considerably longer than its counterpart 126 on theother side, and it goes through a stand-off or sleeve 154 that extendsbetween the flange 40 of the driver 12 and the wall between the twocompartments 102. The stand-off or sleeve 154 provides a bearing surfacefor the screw or bolt 152 and allows it to be secured.

Thus, junction boxes 10, 100, 150 with wrap-around compartments ofvarious shapes may be used in embodiments of the invention. However, itshould also be understood that the walls that divide a junction box intothose wrap-around compartments may be defined in various ways and may becarried by different components of the junction box in differentembodiments.

As an example of this, FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of ajunction box, generally indicated at 200, according to yet anotherembodiment of the invention. Junction box 200 of FIG. 9 has wrap-aroundcompartments, but those compartments are defined in a completelydifferent way than in the embodiments described above.

Junction box 200 has a base 202, which is a five-sided rectilinearenclosure with pairs of long and short sidewalls 204, 206 and a bottom208 from which the sidewalls 204, 206 arise. The configuration of thebase 202 is such that it may be molded, cast, or bent out of sheetmetal, to give but a few examples. Notably, the base 202 itself has nointernal partitions—it is simply a large area surrounded by sidewalls204, 206. The base 202 does have a series of knock-outs 210, one in eachlong wall 204 and two in each short wall 206. The predefined positionsof the knock-outs 210 anticipate the locations of the compartments. Aswill be explained below in more detail, because the base 202 has nointernal partitions of its own, the partitions that create compartmentsare carried by other components of the junction box 200.

Junction box 200 also includes a driver cap 212. The driver cap 212 isanother five-sided rectilinear enclosure in the illustrated embodimentthat has a top 212 and long and short sidewalls 216, 218 that areconnected to, and extend downwardly from, the top 212. The driver cap212 is intended to fit directly over the driver 12 and is sized andotherwise adapted to do so. In the illustrated embodiment, the drivercap 212 is made from folded sheet metal, and the long and shortsidewalls 216, 218 are folded-down flaps of metal that depend from thetop 212. Of course, as with the other components, the driver cap 212 maybe made in any number of ways, e.g., by casting, machining, injectionmolding, etc. Each of the short sidewalls 218 has an opening 220 topermit the passage of wires from the driver 12.

Depending on the embodiment, the driver cap 212 may be dimensioned tofit the driver 12 almost exactly, or there may be some extra space in atleast one dimension. For example, while it may be helpful for the drivercap 212 to have a similar length and width as the driver 12 that itsecures, the driver cap 212 may have additional height relative to thedriver 12.

Each long sidewall 216 carries a partition portion 222. Each partitionportion 222 extends outwardly from the driver cap 212 in generally thesame direction as the long sidewall 216. In the embodiment of FIG. 9,there are two partition portions 222, one associated with and extendingin generally the same direction as each long sidewall 216. The twopartition portions 222 are essentially at opposite corners of the drivercap 212 from one another, and extend in opposite directions from oneanother. When the driver cap 212 is installed in the base 202, thesidewalls 216, 218 and the partition portions 222 define two L-shapedcompartments in cooperation with the sidewalls 206, 208 of the base 202.More specifically, the partition portions 222 are sized so that theyextend the distance between the driver cap 212 and the short sidewalls206 of the base 202, so that the driver cap 212 with its partitionportions 222 completely partitions two L-shaped wrap-around compartments224. In the illustrated embodiment, the partition portions 222 arestraight extensions of their respective sidewalls 216, 218, althoughthey may be bent or curved in other embodiments.

The compartments 224 that are created by the driver cap 212 incooperation with the base 202 are best seen in FIG. 10, a top plan viewof the junction box 200 without the cover installed. As was describedbriefly above, the partition portions 222 divide the base 202 into twoL-shaped compartments 224 which, like the L-shaped compartments ofjunction box 100, are arranged long end to short end. The cap 212 restson the flanges 40 of the driver 12 to secure the driver itself. Slots226 in the bottom of the base 202 receive depending tabs 228 that extenddown from the bottom edge of the driver cap 212, thereby securing thedriver cap 212 in place. The driver cap 212 is also secured in place bythe cover 230 of the junction box 200, which in the illustratedembodiment is itself secured in place by four screws or bolts 232 thatpass through openings in the cover 230 and are received by threadedholes 234 in four horizontal, inwardly-extending flanges 236 providedalong the top of the long sidewalls 204 of the base 202.

For ease and convenience in manufacturing, the partition portions 222may be formed or attached in a variety of ways. For example, in theillustrated embodiment, although the partition portions 222 serveessentially as extensions of the long sidewalls 216 of the driver cap212, each partition portion 222 is actually a flap of material that iscontiguous with the adjacent short sidewall 218 of the driver cap 212and is bent to extend in the same direction as the long sidewall 216.Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, the partition portions 222 arecontiguous with the respective short sidewalls 218, rather than the longsidewalls 216. Regardless of the precise points of attachment of thepartition portions 222, in cooperation with the base 202, the driver cap212 as a whole provides a continuous barrier between compartments 224,of which both the long sidewalls 216 and short sidewalls 218 form apart.

FIGS. 11 and 12 are end and side elevational views of the junction box200, illustrating the locations of the knock-outs 210 in the sidewalls204, 206. In FIG. 11, the position of a partition portion 222 is shownin phantom. As shown, the knock-outs 210 are arranged such that eachcompartment has a knock-out 210 along each short wall 206, and eachcompartment has a knock-out 210 along each long wall. This givesinstallers choices as to where the wires are to enter and leave thejunction box 200.

FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of a junction box, generallyindicated at 300, according to yet another embodiment of the invention.Junction box 300 is similar in many respects to the junction box 200described above; thus, elements not described here may be assumed to bethe same as, or similar to, the corresponding components of junction box200.

Junction box 300 has a base 302 that forms a five-sided enclosure withlong sidewalls 304 and short sidewalls 306. The base 302 is open anddoes not have any internal partitions. As with junction box 200, adriver cap 308 has a top 309 and depending long and short sidewalls 310,312 and covers the driver 12 along its top and sides. The driver cap 308carries partition portions 314 that are arranged much as the partitionportions 222 in junction box 200 are arranged. Along with the driver cap308, the partition portions 314 divide the base 302 into two L-shapedcompartments 303, 305.

Junction box 300 differs in several respects from the junction box 200described above. For example, the cover 316 attaches to the base 302differently. More specifically, one of the long sidewalls 304 of thebase 302 and both short sidewalls 306 have inwardly-extending horizontallips 318, 320 that collectively form a small channel along three sidesof the junction box 300. (The lips 320 on the short sidewalls 306 havebreaks 321 that allow for the insertion of the driver cap 308.) Thecover 316 has a thickness that is dimensioned to fit within the channel,and slides into it. Along its front edge, the cover 316 has a bent-downvertical flange 322. The flange 322 carries a single screw 324, whichinserts into a corresponding threaded hole 326 in the forward longsidewall 304 of the base 302. The screw 324 is captured by the flange322; it can turn, but it cannot come free from the flange 322. Both thecover 316 and the driver cap 308 have ventilation holes 328 to increaseairflow to the driver 12.

FIG. 14 is a top plan view of junction box 300 with the cover 316removed. Compared with junction box 200, the driver cap 308 of junctionbox 300 has elongated horizontal flanges 330 contiguous with the bottomsof the short sidewalls 312 of the driver cap 308. These long horizontalflanges 330 extend over the flanges 40 on the driver 12 and are secureddown by screws, bolts, coupling nuts, or other such fasteners 332. Insome cases, the fasteners 332 may serve as grounding terminals forground wires.

As with driver cap 212, driver cap 308 includes openings 334 in itsshort sidewalls 312 to allow the wires 122 from the driver 40 to pass.In order to make it easier to place the driver 12 within the driver cap308, a slot 336 extends down from each opening 334, so that the wires122 from the driver 12 can be slid in instead of being threaded throughthe opening 334. As shown in FIG. 14, the slots 336 may extend down intothe flanges 330.

High-voltage wiring entering the junction box 300 typically includes ahigh-voltage wire, a neutral wire, and a ground wire. The driver 12itself typically includes at least a high-voltage wire and a neutralwire and may or may not include its own separate ground wire. Forvarious reasons, it may be necessary or desirable to connect thejunction box 300 itself to ground. Thus, junction box 300 includes agrounding terminal 338 in the floor of one compartment 303. Thegrounding terminal 338 is a raised feature or mound that arises from thefloor of the compartment 303. At the center of the grounding terminal338, a screw 340 is provided, under which a grounding wire can besecured. The screw 340 may be captured in the grounding terminal 338 sothat it can turn but cannot come free of the grounding terminal 338.While there is a grounding terminal 338 in only one of the twocompartments 303, 305, a grounding terminal may be added to the othercompartment 305, if desired, in order to preserve symmetry.

In junction box 300, the placement of knock-outs 342 is slightlydifferent than in the junction boxes 10, 150, 200 described above. FIG.15 is a bottom plan view of the junction box 300. The knock-outs 342 andresulting openings are best seen in FIGS. 13-15. Junction box 300 hastwo knock-outs 342 along each long sidewall 304 and one knock-out 342along each short sidewall 306. The knock-outs 342 are arranged such thaton opposite corners, the knock-out 342 on the long sidewall 304 and theknock-out 342 on the short sidewall 306 are adjacent one another.However, in addition to the knock-outs 342 on the sidewalls 304, 306, asshown in FIG. 15, the junction box 300 includes two knock-outs 342 alongthe bottom 344, arranged one per compartment at opposite corners of thejunction box 300. This allows a user to make connections through thebottom 344 of the junction box 300 as well as through the sides 304,306. (FIG. 13 shows two rigid, 90° elbows 346 connected to the junctionbox 300.) FIGS. 16 and 17 are long-side elevational and short-sideelevational views of the junction box 300, illustrating the placementsof the knock-outs 342.

In addition to the knock-outs 342, junction boxes 10, 100, 150, 200, 300according to embodiments of the invention may have mounting holes or,alternatively, mounting structures in any desired locations tofacilitate mounting. The bottom 344 of the junction box 300 includesfour keyhole-style mounting openings 346. As is well-known in the art,keyhole-style mounting openings 346 have a round portion that is largeenough to pass a fastener head and a narrower slit portion that is notlarge enough to pass a fastener head.

FIG. 15 also illustrates the position of the slots 348 in the bottom 344of the base 302 that receive the depending projections 350 from thedriver cap 308. Because the driver cap 308 is secured with screws orother fasteners 332 that extend through its flanges 330, the slots 348and projections 350 primarily serve a locating function in the junctionbox 300.

FIG. 18 is a top plan view of a junction box, generally indicated at400, according to a further embodiment of the invention. All of thejunction boxes 10, 100, 150, 200, 300 described above are rectilinear,but that need not be the case in all embodiments. Junction box 400 isround, but could be oval, triangular, or essentially any other shape.The view of FIG. 18 shows the base 402 of junction box 400 only; thecover is omitted, but may be assumed to be similar, except in shape, tothe cover 316 of junction box 300.

Like the junction boxes 200, 300 described above, the base 402 ofjunction box 400 alone is undivided; the base 402 has no internalpartitions of its own. Junction box 400 is divided by a driver cap 404and its partition portions 406, 408 into two wrap-around compartments410, 412. The partition portions 406, 408 themselves may be of differentsizes and have different bends or contours, if necessary, in order tomeet the round sidewall 414 of the junction box 400. In the illustratedembodiment, approximately half of the upper circumference of thesidewall 414 has a lip 416, which forms a channel to secure a cover,much like in junction box 300. However, the cover of junction box 400may be secured in any number of ways. Like the others, junction box 400may have any number of knock-outs 418 along its sidewalls or bottom. Inthe view of FIG. 18, two knock-outs 418 are provided in the bottom, onein each compartment 410, 412; other knock-outs 418 may be provided insections of the sidewall 414 but are not shown in the view of FIG. 18.Junction box 400 also includes keyhole-style mounting openings 420arranged diagonally with respect to one another on the bottom, one percompartment 410, 412.

One advantage of driver caps 212, 308, 404 that carry their ownpartitions is that a driver cap 212, 308, 404 could potentially beretrofit to a standard round or square general-purpose electricaljunction box to define high- and low-voltage compartments. This couldpotentially allow any standard electrical junction box to carry anappropriately-sized driver, encased within a driver cap 212, 308, 404that creates the necessary compartments for high voltage and low voltagewithin the junction box. That driver cap may be secured to the junctionbox by any suitable means, including screws or bolts; if no suitableholes or openings are provided for securing the driver cap 212, 308,404, holes may simply be drilled in the junction box.

Thus, one embodiment of the invention relates to driver caps 212, 308,404 with partition portions 222, 314, 406, 408 that are providedindependently of any particular junction box or junction box base. Insome cases, these driver caps 212, 308, 404 may be sold or otherwiseprovided with a driver 12 already installed. If so, all that aninstaller would need to do would be to place the driver-carrying drivercap 212, 308, 404 in a standard electrical junction box and secure it.

In the embodiments described above, a driver cap 212, 308, 404 is usedto enclose the driver 12 and to create partitions. However, in manycases, fully enclosing the driver 12 within an already fully-enclosedjunction box is not necessary. Rather, a five-sided driver cap 212, 308,404 is used simply because it may be easier to manufacture. In somecases, though, it may be desirable to omit the top of the driver cap, sothat the driver 12 is merely surrounded, and not covered.

FIG. 19 is a top plan view of a junction box, generally indicated at500, that illustrates this principle. Junction box 500 has most of thefeatures of junction box 400 and differs only in how the driver 12 issurrounded and how partitions are made. More specifically, the driver 12is surrounded by a four-sided enclosure 502 with two long walls 504, twoshort walls 506, and no top. Thus, the driver 12 is exposed along itstop face. The long and short walls 504, 506 would generally be as tall,or nearly as tall, as the sidewall 414 of junction box 500 in order toprovide a complete partition. Like the driver caps 212, 308, 404, theenclosure 502 has flanges 508 that secure the driver 12, and includespartition portions 510 that extend outwardly from the enclosure 502 topartition junction box 500 into two wrap-around compartments 512, 514.As with the other embodiments, while the partition portions 510 arestraight and in line with the long sidewalls 504 of the enclosure, theyneed not be in all embodiments.

The enclosure 502 may be made in any number of ways, including withsheet metal or by casting or molding, and it may be made of metal orplastic. If a driver cap 404 or enclosure 502 is added to a junction box400, 500 as a retrofit, the driver cap 404 or enclosure 502 wouldtypically be of at least the same type of material as the junction box400, 500. For example, if the junction box 400, 500 is made of metal,the driver cap 404 or enclosure 502 would also be made of metal.

Thus, there are a number of ways in which junction boxes 10, 100, 150,200, 300 may be made with wrap-around compartments of various shapes andsizes to accommodate a driver 12 and, potentially, minimize the size ofthe junction box 10, 100, 150, 200, 300 as compared with other ways ofconfiguring the compartment spaces. There are also a number of ways inwhich a driver cap 212, 308, 404 or enclosure 502 may be used toretrofit an existing junction box 400, 500 to provide compartments whenthey are needed.

Although portions of this description focus on AC-to-DC drivers,junction boxes according to embodiments of the invention may house avariety of electronic equipment and need not be limited to AC-to-DCdrivers. For example, a junction box may house an AC-to-AC transformeror converter. Junction boxes may also house other types of components,such as color controllers and network interfaces.

While the invention has been described with respect to certainembodiments, the description is intended to be exemplary, rather thanlimiting. Modifications and changes may be made within the scope of theinvention, which is defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A junction box, comprising: a base having abottom and a sidewall arising from the bottom; a driver cap, the drivercap having a top, sidewalls depending from the top, and partitionportions extending outwardly from the sidewalls, the partition portionsbeing arranged so as to extend to the sidewall of the base and therebydivide the base into at least two compartments that wrap around thedriver cap; and a cover sized and adapted to engage the base and to forma closed enclosure with the base.
 2. The junction box of claim 1,wherein the base is rectangular and the sidewall comprises opposed pairsof opposed long and short sidewalls.
 3. The junction box of claim 1,wherein the driver cap comprises opposed pairs of long and shortsidewalls.
 4. The junction box of claim 3, wherein the partitionportions extend from diagonally opposed corners of the driver cap. 5.The junction box of claim 4, wherein the partition portions extend inline with long axes of the long sidewalls of the driver cap.
 6. Thejunction box of claim 1, wherein the driver cap further comprises atleast one locating or engaging feature, and the base further comprises acomplementary locating or engaging feature.
 7. The junction box of claim6, wherein the locating or engaging feature comprises sets of dependingtabs and the complementary locating or engaging feature of the basecomprises complementary sets of slots adapted for the sets of dependingtabs.
 8. A junction box, comprising: a base, the base including abottom, a sidewall connected to the bottom and extending upwardlytherefrom, and one or more sets of internal partitions arising from thebottom, the internal partitions dividing the base into a centralcompartment for a driver and at least one compartment that wraps aroundthe central compartment, at least one knock-out or opening in thesidewall that coincides with the position of the at least onewrap-around compartment; and a cover adapted to be secured to the baseto cover and close the junction box.
 9. The junction box of claim 8,wherein the base comprises two sets of internal partitions that dividethe base into the central compartment and two compartments that wraparound the central compartment.
 10. The junction box of claim 9, whereinthe two compartments that wrap around the central compartment areU-shaped.
 11. The junction box of claim 9, wherein the two compartmentsthat wrap around the central compartment are L-shaped.
 12. The junctionbox of claim 9, wherein the base comprises at least two knock-outs oropenings that coincide with the position of each of the twocompartments.
 13. The junction box of claim 9, wherein the base isrectangular and the sidewall comprises two long sidewalls and two shortsidewalls, the long and short sidewalls extending perpendicular to oneanother, respectively, such that the perimeter of the sidewall isrectangular.
 14. The junction box of claim 9, wherein each of the twosets of internal partitions has a cut-out that extends from the top ofthe internal partition downwardly.
 15. The junction box of claim 14,wherein the cut-out is generally U-shaped.
 16. A partition for ajunction box, comprising: a driver cap including a top; sidewallsdepending from the top; and partition portions extending outwardly fromthe sidewalls.
 17. The partition of claim 16, wherein the sidewallscomprise two long and two short sidewalls arranged such that the drivercap has a generally rectangular perimeter.
 18. The partition of claim17, wherein the partition portions are oriented generally vertically andextend outwardly in generally the same direction as the sidewalls. 19.The partition of claim 18, wherein the partition portions are attachedto the driver cap so as to extend from diagonally opposite cornersthereof.
 20. The partition of claim 19, further comprising at least onepenetration allowing wires from a driver to leave the driver cap.